Improvement in locomotive fire-boxes



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAIWIES L. VAUCLAIN, OF LAFAYETTE, INDIANA.

Specication forming part of Letters Patent No. 33,057, dated August'l, 1861.A

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, VJAI/Ins L. VAUcLAIN, of Lafayette, Tippecanoe county, State of Indiana, have invented new and useful Improvements in the Fire-Boxes of Locomotives, &c.; and I do hereby declare the following to bea full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification.

My invention relates to a form of bottom for a locomotive fire-boX which, while preserved from burning and increasing the effective heating-surface, is so arranged as to be capable of an instantaneous increase or diminution of its draft-passages at will of the engineer.

The accompanying drawing is a longitudinal section through a fire-boX with my improved bottom.

A is the inner shell inclosing the fire-chamber B.

C C is the outer shell of the boiler, between which and the shell A intervenes a water-jacket, D. This jacket is, in the present arrangement, continued entirely under the Hoor E of the fire-chamber B, draftpassage being afforded, and the inner and outer plates of the bottom being effectually stayed to each other by a series of equidistant hollow stay-bolts, F.

G is a stout plate having apertures g, which correspond to those of the hollow stay-bolts F in the bottom of the 1ireboX. The thusperforated plate G is secured snugly beneath the said bottom in such a manner as to permit of a sliding movement by the engineer, by which the plate (register) G g may be shifted so as to bring its apertures immediately under the blank spaces of the iire-box bottom, or partially so, according to the amount of draft and activity of combustion that may be required. A lever, I-I, connected with the register G c, is placed so as to have its handle conveniently located for use.

I claim as new and of Iny invention- The combination of the double fire-bottom C E, hollow stay-bolts F, Water-jacket D, and register G g, perforated to correspond with the nre-bottom and sliding beneath the same, the whole being constructed and arranged and operating in the Inanner and for the purposes explained.

In testimony of which invention I hereunto set my hand.

JAMES L. VAUCLAIN.

Witnesses:

GEO. H. KNIGHT, FRANCIS MILLWARD. 

